This recipe for Cendol is a refreshing, Southeast Asian iced dessert consisting of homemade pandan starch jellies and a medley of beans in coconut milk. It’s a summertime favourite that will be sure to cool you down!
I love delving into the foods that my parents ate growing up in Southeast Asia.
Even though I have yet to visit (one day, I will!), I’m just so fascinated with the variations between similar desserts.
Take for example, cendol.
Growing up, I always heard my parents refer to this icy, sweet dessert with green worm-like textured things as cendol.
But after having had a similar version at Vietnamese restaurants, I’ve come to realize that it’s basically the same dessert, except it’s got a different name.
What is cendol?
Cendol is a sweet, refreshing, iced dessert commonly found in Southeast Asia.
The dessert contains:
- green, pandan-flavoured worm-like shaped starch jelly (made with either rice flour or green bean flour)
- coconut milk
- sugar syrup known as gulu melaka, or palm sugar
- ice
Cendol is often sold as a street food by hawkers and food courts. Nowadays you can find it at dessert shops and even coffee shops.
2 different meanings
However, the name “cendol” is a little confusing.
In Java, where it is purported that cendol came from, the term cendol refers to the green worm-like shaped starch jelly.
When referring to the dessert with the green jellies, coconut milk and palm sugar, it’s known as dawet.
However, in Malaysia/Brunei, “cendol” refers to the actual dessert as a whole.
Other names it’s known by
Cendol is also known as:
- chè ba màu in Vietnam
- lot chong in Thailand
- dawet in Java
- mont let saung in Burma
Green pandan starch jellies
The green cendol jellies are the star of the dish.
They are soft in consistency with a slight chew, similar to noodles.
Pandan leaf/extract (screwpine) colours the jellies with its vibrant green hue.
Some restaurants take a shortcut and present pandan jellies made with gelatin/agar, rather than making it with traditional rice/bean flour.
Ingredients you’ll need
To make the cendol jellies, you’ll need:
- pandan leaves/extract: also known as screwpine, the blade-like leaves have an aromatic flavour and vibrant green hue
- water
- cornstarch
- mung bean starch: the key ingredient for cendol jellies; you can find it at Asian grocery stores, usually close to rice flour
- wheat starch: adds a silky texture to the jellies
- granulated sugar: adds a little sweetness to the jellies
- lye water: adds a chewy texture to the jellies; optional if you can’t find it
How to make the jellies
You will need:
- plenty of ice for the ice bath
- potato ricer (fitted with a disc with holes)
First blend together the pandan leaves with the water to create the pandan-infused water.
Strain the liquid from the pandan leaves using a sieve.
Next, add the pandan water to a sauce pan and add in the rest of the ingredients.
Note: if you don’t have access to pandan leaves, you can omit and use pandan extract instead. Lye water is optional, but it gives an extra chewy texture to the jellies.
Bring the mixture to a boil, and then stir over low heat until it becomes a translucent green paste.
Transfer the mixture in batches over to the potato ricer, and squeeze the paste into the ice bath.
Give the jellies a stir, and repeat with the remaining paste.
Strain the jellies and keep them chilled.
How to serve
Enjoy the cendol jellies on the same day that they’re made.
You can serve cendol (dessert) layered, in a tall glass.
However, you can present it in bowls as well (this is done in Singapore and Malaysia).
Assemble the dessert with other ingredients such as:
- red azuki beans (my personal favourite)
- yellow mung beans
- grass jelly
- durian
- ice
- palm sugar syrup
- coconut milk
How to store
You can store the cendol jellies in the fridge for up to 2 days.
The assembled cendol dessert should be eaten right away.
Did you know?
Barack Obama made it his mission to enjoy a bowl of this dessert on his Indonesian visit in 2017?
Other recipes you may like
You may enjoy these Asian desserts:
Bubur Cha Cha (Malaysian Coconut Milk Dessert)
Coco-Inspired Egg Pudding Bubble Tea
Cool, refreshing, and sweet — cendol is a great dessert for beating the summertime heat.
Let me know if you try out this refreshing summertime dessert — tag me on Instagram @siftandsimmer or leave me a comment/rating below!
Cendol
For accuracy and precision in baking recipes, use weight (metric) measurements when available.
Ingredients
Cendol Jellies:
- 70 g pandan leaves if you can't find fresh or frozen pandan leaves, you can omit and use pandan extract instead
- 400 ml water
- 50 g cornstarch
- 10 g mung bean starch rice starch may be substituted
- 10 g wheat starch can omit if you can't find it
- 30 g granulated cane sugar
- ¼ tsp green pandan extract
- ¼ tsp lye water optional
Other ingredients:
- cooked red azuki beans
- cooked yellow mung beans
- grass jelly cut up
- coconut milk
- crushed ice
Sugar Syrup:
- 100 g palm sugar
- ¼ C water
Instructions
Make the cendol:
- Prepare an ice bath by placing ice into a large bowl filled with water.
- Blend together the pandan leaves with the water. Strain the pulp from the pandan leaves and add the liquid to a sauce pan.
- Add in the cornstarch, mung bean starch, wheat starch, sugar, pandan extract and lye water (if using). Turn on the heat to high, and stir the mixture with a spatula.
- Once the mixture starts to thicken, reduce the heat to low and continue to cook until it becomes a translucent paste. Cook for another 2 more minutes.
- Remove from heat and carefully transfer the paste to a potato ricer -- working in batches, squeeze the paste through the ricer over top of the ice bath, ensuring the "cendol noodles" are submerged in the ice water.
- Leave the cendol in the ice water for 15 minutes.
- Drain the cendol and set aside in the refrigerator until ready to assemble.
Make the Sugar Syrup:
- In a small saucepan, combine the palm sugar and water and heat until thickened, about 5 minutes.
- Transfer to a clean jar and let cool.
To assemble:
- In a large, tall glass, layer cendol, azuki red beans, yellow mung beans, crushed ice, and drizzle with coconut milk and sugar syrup. Serve immediately.
Nutrition
The nutritional information provided should be considered as approximate and is not guaranteed. Please use your best judgment to ensure food is safely prepared and/or a good fit for your diet.
This article was originally published for Curious Cuisiniere.
This is one of my favourite desserts to have every time we visit Malaysia! My husband absolutely love Cendol! It’s just so good and i love the variations from each Asian country!
Thanks Christie! So refreshing and delicious! 🙂
I can’t say I’ve ever had cendal, but I can’t wait to try it! This recipe looks wonderful! Thank you so much for sharing it!
Thanks Lauren! It’s such a great dessert for the warm weather we’ve been having! 🙂
Interesting! I’ve never heard of cendol (or any of it’s other terms). However, this dessert looks super fun…in part because of the colors. Also, I’m all about chilled desserts on these hot summer days. I love that you are delving into your parent’s foodie past – that adds such a fun interest behind this recipe!
Thanks David! It appears the older I get, the more I am trying to recreate those dishes from my heritage! 🙂
The color is so vibrant, I love that shade of green! I’d love to try it because I’ve never heard of it before and it looks very unique and yummy! Pinning!
Thanks Kim! If you ever go to a Vietnamese restaurant, they usually have a similar “3-colored dessert” called “che ba mau.” 🙂
Your photos are beautiful, Michelle! I love that color of green. What a super fun dessert!
Thanks Katherine! The green is definitely vibrant from the pandan! 🙂
So much to learn here ! The only familiar to me is pandan cake and I love it very much but you have opened completely new dimension for us to go through ! Thank you very much !
Glad to enlighten, Davorka! 🙂
This is such a fun, vibrant and refreshing summer dessert idea… and your presentation is so beautiful!
Thank you Heidi! It’s definitely refreshing for summer! 🙂
Michelle,
This is such a handsome recipe. That green is gorgeous and something to do with the visual appeal in blown up summers. I’m glad you are bringing us some of your food heritage and for that Barack Obama mission. I can’t wait till I try this recipe more for those colours. Thanks
Hi there, thank you so much for dropping by! 🙂
I’ve never heard of this before but I am so intrigued by it! What a unique and beautiful dessert…I love the different elements! Sounds like a lovely dessert to try.
Thanks Catherine 🙂
Wow, what a neat concept, I’ve never made anything like this before, but I may try!
Please enjoy, Neli! 🙂
Not only is this refreshing its perfect for any green themed Holiday!!
I hadn’t even thought of that, great suggestion, Claudia!
I’ve never heard of cendol before but I love the colours!
Thanks Beth! 🙂 The green is quite striking!
I have seen this dessert at restaurants but never knew what it was. The want to give the recipe a try.
This is my favourite refreshing beverage during my summer months! Easy to make and I like the smell of the panda fragrant. A drop of the lye water will enhance the green colour and the texture of the cendol. Delicious!
I tried this recipe out and it tasted phenomenal. It’s been years since I’ve had Cendol but man oh man did this remind me of the good ol’ days.
Hi Aman, glad you enjoyed the recipe and that it brought back your childhood memories! Thanks for sharing your creation with me on Instagram too! 🙂